Truth Matters

Have your Bibles with you, not truth. If you would first John chapter 2 and really look at verses 18 through 21 children. It is the last hour. As you've heard that antichrist is coming so many now many antichrists have come. Therefore we know that it is the last hour they went out from us, but they were not of us, for they had been of us, they would have continued with us, but they went out that it might become planes. They are not all of us but you been anointed by the holy wanted you all have knowledge.

I write to you not because you do not know the truth but because you know it because no lie is of the truth is pride. Heavenly father, we thank you for your precious word. We thank you Lord for the inspiration that you gave to the apostle John states at 2000 years ago. That is so absolutely relevant to us today we pray heavenly father that you would take the word of God tonight and and Laura just open it up to us that we might understand these truths in such a way as it would change us, make us more like our precious Jesus. Heavenly father, we thank you for loving us. We thank you for dying for us. We thank you Lord for the power of your Holy Spirit and indwells us anoints us, helps us to live out the Christian life.

God directors Lord through this passage keep my lips from era and I asked that you just be with us and in great strength and it's in Jesus precious and holy name we pray. Amen may be seated as we worked our way through how the first chapter and 1/2 of the epistle of first John one thing that we have seen is that it is for sure that in this world we are going to see conflict with same conflict between darkness and light with same conflict between love and hatred and tonight we are looking at conflict between truth and error, I will be honest with you think the passage that were looking at tonight may be one of the most relevant passages that we have in all of first John for the society in which we are living in right now. I think the reason for that is because we are living in one of the most relativistic of societies. If there's ever being we live in a society that says there are no absolute there are no rights and wrongs.

There are no goods and baths. There are no truth in era. Everything is relative in all that matters is whether or not your sincere now. Is that true is insincerity. The magic ingredient that makes something true or not about 25 years ago there was a fire that broke out an apartment complex in Memphis, Tennessee, and little fire started but it became a a blazing inferno very quickly and that they, the firetrucks got there and they were, watching the us and it just was going up in flames and there was a young lady that came running over to the fire chief, and she said sir, you gotta help me. She said my my six-month-old daughter is in the Korea in it in the first apartment on the left and on the second floor and she said she's in the first bedroom. Please send somebody up and rescue my child and the fire chief said man that this building is getting ready to collapse and said the odds of the man going in and in getting a child out now are just not good enough.

I'm afraid I can't ask our men to do that. There was a man who jumped up and said, you can ask, but I'll volunteer in the firemen took off up that first I drenched them with water. Then he took off up the stairs. He ran up the stairs again on the second floor. The smoke was so thick that he could could even cease. We got them his hands and knees and finally made his way to the to that apartment.

He kicked the door in and then he got into the in that first bedroom and flailing his arms ran trying to feel for the Korea but finally found the Korea.

He reached in and he grabbed that little form of a child and wrapped it up in a blanket and he took elf at the door. He was going as fast as he could down those those steps and as he was going down the steps. You could hear the beings Creek in and get ready to break. He finally stepped out of the door and about two seconds after he got out the door.

The entire building collapsed and just fell in before they they were clapping.

They were cheering all excited about about this man's bravery and how he had rescued this child. Mother came running over.

She grabbed him around the neck in and hugged him and kissed him on the cheek and he handed the little baby over to her and she took the Lycan sheet she ripped the blanket off the child and then she screamed for the baby in her arm was not a baby. It was a baby doll and the child had died in the collapse of that building now that's a true story and nobody they are yelled and fussed at the firemen, nobody they are called in stupid nobody there challenged his courage.

He did all he could to rescue that baby and what he was doing.

He did insincerity but he was sincerely wrong and the baby lost his life. It takes more than sincerity to make something true. I've entitled the sermon.

Truth matters because that's the point that John is trying to drive home here. John is already emphasize the conflict between darkness and light.

The conflict between a love and hatred, and in this passage he deals with the conflict between truth and error and he's letting us know that this cannot be ignored and John jumps on this issue with both feet. He has seen the destruction and the horrible consequences of of letting people play fast and loose with with the truth of God's word. He is watch the damning effects of the heresy of Gnosticism in Ephesus. Their lives were deceiving the lost and not only were they deceiving the loss with a work that's stripping the, the, the saved people. They are of their joy and other power.

So in these verses. He said let's deal with this issue. Truth matters are society believes the following statement. All we can know is that we cannot know all we can know is that we cannot know that is called intellectual tolerance that is war against absolute truth and if you want to be mocked, you will be scoff that you want to be ridiculed.

You want to be derided, then the all you need to do is to take a stand on absolute truth.

You will find that very quickly that those who claim to be so tolerant will not be tolerant of you. How does John deal with all this.

John does not believe this is just a human problem. It is not believe that this idea that Jesus was not not fully man was just something that some guy followed up.

He believes this is a spiritual conflict that this is a supernatural evil that's behind this attack on truth.

He believes that this is a satanic deception that is going on here that must be identified and that it must be attacked.

Listen to what Paul said in Ephesians chapter 6 verses 11 through 12 a said they is put on the whole armor of God, that you might stand against the wiles of the devil. We wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against powers and principalities and rulers of darkness in this world, and spiritual wickedness in high places.

We need to be very careful at the rational side of our brain does not explain away the truth of God's word concerning spiritual warfare. Satan's greatest weapon is deception, and in the one of the ways that he deceives is to get people to believe that he didn't even exist and if he gets you to that point where you doubt the existence of Satan and you see no need for spiritual warfare that he's got you right where he wants you so John awakens us to the fact that this battle for truth is not just an intellectual conflict is a spiritual conflict in a very powerful spiritual conflict not out three points only share with you this evening. The first one is that he is the antichrist defined look at verse 18 children. It is the last hour and as you have heard that antichrist is coming, so now many adequate antichrist have come. Therefore we know that this is the last hour. The term last hour, or last day in the Scripture does not necessarily speak of that time period immediately preceding the second coming of Christ. A lot of people think that, but that's just not the case. John says here that we are in that last hour and John Lee of 2000 years ago. The term last days or last hours, often used to describe the church age.

From the first coming of Christ the second coming of Christ on the day of Pentecost, Peter preached to 3000 people or more than that was 3000 people who were converted and came to Christ at your said what's going on here is the fulfillment of the prophecy of Joel, who said that this would take place in the last days was 2000 years ago and then in Hebrews chapter 1 verse one the writer of Hebrews said God in diverse ways and sundry times and spoken to us in times past by the prophets has in these last days spoken to us by his son.

So this needs to be clarified. There will be a second coming of Christ, and there will be a time of great apostasy and of great persecution and trial. In that time period immediately preceding Christ's coming. But if Jesus doesn't come for the next 2000 years, you and I tonight are still living in the last days but he says to us you have heard that the antichrist is coming. John is the only writer Scripture that uses that name to describe this particular person.

The word anti-has two meanings. It can mean to stand against Ernst to stand in opposition of our right-hand maintenance to to stand in the place of John is talking about individual he is talking about a man who this church is already heard about a man who will be ruling ecclesiastical. He and and politically.

When Christ returns this earth down through history, there been types and pictures and and symbols in foreshadowing of this man to come. We saw it in Haman.

Haman lived during the time of King has you Harrison and was a king over Persia taken over Babylon at that time and Haman was the one who came up with the plot under the inspiration of Satan to destroy the Jewish race to wipe them off the face of the earth.

He was a foreshadowing of the antichrist think of Antiochus epiphanies and back in the and 168 BC he committed what Jesus called the abomination of desolation. He went into the temple went into the holy of holies with a pig under his arm and took that pig and slaughtered it took the blood and ingest and just threw it all over the holy of holies my sacred place place on the face of the earth just to desecrate. He is a foreshadowing of the antichrist think of King Herod the great who gave the order to kill all the baby boys that were under two years old in Bethlehem in order that he could be sure to kill the Messiah. I think of the Nero and Domitian, who were Roman emperors who did everything they could to destroy Christianity off the face of the earth. I think of Adolf Hitler, a demon possessed maniac who had a desire to destroy the Jewish race off the face of the earth and did kill over 6 million Jews. These were types pictures and foreshadowing's of antichrist to come but Paul describes this man a second Thessalonians 2 as a man of lawlessness causing the son of perdition member who else Jesus called the son of perdition. He said that in John 17 about Judas Iscariot. This is a wicked man he would exalt himself as a God and receive worship as a God. Second Thessalonians to 8 to 10 Paul said this abounding, and then the lawless one will be revealed whom the Lord Jesus will kill with the breath of his mouth and bring to nothing by the appearance of his coming.

The coming of the lawless one is by the activity of Satan with all power and false signs and wonders, and with all the wicked deception for those who are perishing because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. So John's congregation is in Ephesus. Paul is the one who who planted the church in Ephesus. The people in Ephesus already had this part of the Scripture and second Thessalonians that Paul had written they knew about this antichrist and and they understood that this one was coming perhaps in John's day there was much is much speculation about what's going to take place in that time period immediately preceding the second coming of Christ maybe is as much speculation then is there is now.

We got ministries today. I may just full-time ministries that at that just totally focus on what's going to take place before the second coming of Christ. I think some of these pastors that are in those ministries are more concerned about the antichrist. They are about Christ. But John uses this knowledge they have about the antichrist to get across his point. This is what he says you've heard that the antichrist is coming, he said, let me fill you in on something there a lot antichrist that are already here. He saying that these teachers who are opposing the gospel. These people who were in the Gnosticism they are denying the humanity of Christ, turning people from the truth. He said these people are not just in error. They are under the power and the control and the influence of Satan with the pretense of being godly of being loving being caring. They are being used of Satan to pervert the true gospel and in doing so to keep people from the truth.

In doing that keep people from Christ, so that's antichrist defined. Secondly, let's look at the antichrist displayed verse 19 they went out from us, but they were not of us breath they had been of us, they would've continued with us, but they went out that it might be made manifest if they were not of us. Jesus said that we would know those that are his by their fruit.

One of the primary fruits that we see of genuine salvation is continuance. The Bible teaches a doctrine that we call perseverance of the saints. Some people call it once saved always saved alike.

Perseverance of the saints better because once saved always saved, it is sometimes confused and people think it will. What that means is that once I made a profession of faith that I'm always saved.

Once I joined the church or once been confirmed into the church or once I walk down the aisle then then I'm saved.

And because I'm saved because I can't lose my salvation. Then I can live like I want to do.

I can live like the devil and it really doesn't matter. God saved me and I can do what I want to do a got ticket to heaven in a license to sin. So they have that attitude that's a disgrace to grace bugs. The doctrine should be stated this way. If, by the grace of God.

I've genuinely been saved then by that same grace of God I will persevere to the end, I am dependent on the grace of God.

If God is genuinely regenerated my heart that he is going to give me everything that I need to persevere to the end. Paul said it this way. Being confident of this very thing, that he was begun a good work in us shall perform it or completed to the day of Jesus Christ. I believe that John remember back to an incident that happened when he was walking with Jesus here on this earth and and in John six Jesus was teaching some very difficult doctrine and in our church seen in America today were being told to avoid doctrine stay away from doctrine.

Doctrine divides doctrine gets people mad. It makes people uptight is to stay away from Dr. Hill, it will hurt your church that didn't stop Jesus did didn't stop him at all. Jesus was teaching about our relationship with him and and he said then he said this, he said if you don't eat my flesh and drink my blood. Then you have no part with me now.

He was using symbolic language.

This plot does explain a covenant relationship with him. Then after he said this, he went on to explain the sovereignty of God over our salvation and that made some people that were listening to them that have been following him. It made them mad. Listen to what John says and John. 60. John six verse 65 to 69. He said this is why I told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted to him by the father.

After this many of the disciples turned back and they no longer walk with him. So Jesus said to the 12 you want to go away as well.

Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go. You have the words of eternal life, and we have believed in it come to know that you are the holy one of God. This group had been on the Jesus bandwagon so to speak.

They had seen his miracles they had heard his preaching. They had listen to his stories and been mesmerized by them and seen cast out demons. It seemed heal people and they had followed, hereby liked what they saw in his life and what was going on in his ministry, but then all of a sudden he begins to share some truth with them that rub their further wrong way and when that happened. They said were gone and the Scripture says that they left and they walked with him no more. Why they said if that's God's truth and we don't want that God if that's the attitude you take, you got a problem because there is not, but one God. He is the only God and his truth is the truth. We can't pick and choose the truth that we want to go along with the truth. Done rubber further wrong way. If we are he as we submit to his Lordship and we trust his truth.

Jesus turned around to Peter after that he said what are you going to Peter. And Peter said said, Lord, to whom can we go and is and you have the words of eternal life.

John is telling us that those folks who had made professions of faith gone to church, sang the songs recited the creeds proved by their lack of continuance that they did not truly belong to him. The problem was not that they lost their salvation. The problem was that they had never been genuinely saved to begin with. They have fallen under the deception of an antichrist spirit.

They said we have done all that God requires. We made a profession of faith. We asked Jesus to come in our heart.

We walked down the aisle would join the church. We were confirmed all this stuff does that prove that you're saved, absolutely not. Second Corinthians 517, Paul said if any man be in Christ he is a new creation behold all things are our new old things have passed away. A true Christian can stumble he may backslide the knife all he may fall greatly but he will not quit remember being in a funeral several years ago, the man that had died and not step foot in a church for over 30 years. He died of cirrhosis of the liver drank himself to death strike every single day and the pastor got up in the pulpit and he said I want you to know that this man is in heaven today and he said he's in heaven today because when he was 12 years old. He asked Jesus to come into his heart. Folks that that is absolutely absolutely horrible. If that man a truly been saved, then there would have been a change in his life. And yes there might been ups and downs.

There might there will be stumbling's and followings. He would not estate out of church for 30 years and he would've repented of his sins, and not just trusted in an experience it was Charles Spurgeon. He said if your religion hasn't changed your life, you need to change your religion 25 years ago I went through the most difficult time that I had ever been in in my life, my heart was broken. My motions were shattered hopes and dreams fell apart and I thought to myself, I don't think I'll ever be happy again and I had unsafe friend who said to me have had any experience this nail maybe you get off this Jesus kick in and I can member thinking to myself while those words just jolted me when he said that what that never came to my mind turned from Jesus when trials and and heart ache and suffering comes and I'm to turn away from the one that gave me eternal hope and I said oh no you don't run from Jesus and time of the trial you run to Jesus and it was during that time in my life that that the Lord just did a work in my heart through suffering that that gave me a an understanding a better understanding of God than I've ever had before, and while I saw the promise of God being fulfilled in my life where were Romans chapter 8 verse 28 became alive that that where were God says that he works all things together for good to those who love him and the called according to his purpose. The spirit of Gnosticism, which is an antichrist spirit is alive in world when in whale in our society how do we find it we find it when we persevere we find it when we bow to his truth and submit to his Lordship and continuance is the fruit that lets us know that were truly his.

It's interesting thing for me to consider John's attitude toward those who walked away. Your EE if you notice that when you look at verse 19 he doesn't panic pay doesn't act act shocked or surprised that they walked away.

He doesn't say well maybe were not being relevant. Maybe we just need to change our methodology.

He doesn't say Willis water down the message so they won't leave in and we can keep the big number that we have in our church, absolutely not. He instead is concerned about those who remain that he wants their doctrine to be sound and he wants their their love to be sincere and he wants their heart to be pure.

I believe with all my heart that we should be carrying out the great commission. I believe with all my heart that we should have a burden for the lost. I believe with all my heart that we should be heavily involved in missions reaching the lost world for Christ. I believe all those things, but in the light of Scripture, should we expect the true church to be loved and accepted and embraced by lost world. Why should we be shocked when people walk away from the face. Listen to some the things Jesus said is in wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, but narrow is the way in strait is the gate that leads to life, and few there be that find it. Jesus said when the Son of Man returns the earth, will he find faith on the earth now not advocating a fortress mentality for the church were called to go out take the kingdom by force.

We are are not to be passive. I think we're to be on the offense were put on the whole armor of God were to take up the sword of the Spirit, and where to go out and be witnesses to this world and we are to realize that the gates of hell will not prevail against the church, but we should not be discouraged when the world rejects us who we are and what we teach. Martyn Lloyd Jones. She had some great light on verse 19 he is talking about apostasy herein and just want to listen carefully to this piece is the great thing that is emphasized here is the purity of the church and not her size.

I wonder whether we prepared to face the fact of the Church of God in this age and generation may, in a sense have to go back to the catacombs. We may have to face that they are people who are facing that and it is the position in many countries today. The church is in the home of so-and-so and it was in the New Testament, and we must realize that the church is quite as much of the church. If she is a handful of people as if she is a great crowd. The thing that matters in the church is not numbers and organization is the purity of doctrine that are a handful of people who believe that Jesus is the Christ, the crowd who are uncertain as to whether he is or not and who falsely use the word Christian.

These people say these people, says John has gone out from you in a sense that he goes on to say that does not matter. The question is are you who remain all right the purity of doctrine is paramount.

Jesus is the Christ. Third point I want to make is antichrist denied verse 20 through 21 but you been anointed by the holy one, and you all have knowledge. I write to you not because you do not know the truth but because you know it because no lies of the truth. I love these verses. These verses thrill my soul as a preacher and as a teacher of God's word John says to the true Christian you have an anointing the word anointing.

There's the Greek word charisma and it comes from the, though the word Christ, which means the anointed one, and anointing was aporia pouring out on something. So when the when the teams were anointed to to be king. They were anointed with all the oil was poured out in their head when a priest was ordained to the priesthood. He was, he had the oil that was poured out on his head.

When Jesus was baptized. Not only was the water poured on his head but but more than that the Holy Spirit anointed him in the Scripture says, the Holy Spirit came with great power with great power and end came upon him without measure. So what is this verse teaches. It teaches us that every Christian receives the anointing of the Holy Spirit of God. So as a Christian I'm not just a follower of Jesus. I'm in anointed one. I possess the spirit of Christ I can discern truth and error, not just by my intellectual acumen by the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

John is saying that as a preacher. My responsibility is to deliver a clear true word from God. That's my responsibility in the spirit of God that lives in you will will then take it and wring it clear to your heart. If the spirit of Jesus resides in you then then he will see a red flag if I say something that is in opposition to Scripture if I stand up. I tell you that Jesus is not fully human than a red flag immediately comes up, and why does it come up because the Holy Spirit of God brings it up because you have an anointing. If I tell you that Jesus is not fully God, then that red flag comes up and you see it last great so what does that mean does that mean I don't have to study absolutely not. Second, print second Timothy chapter 2 verse 15 study to show yourself approved in the God, a workman that need is not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

This verse promises us that God's spirit will work in tandem with his word encourages notice when it's true, and discouraging us if something's false is a pastor that is glorious news for me. I don't have to be the one to open anybody's eyes.

I can't make you believe that the Holy Spirit who resides in you will take the word that I give to you and will wring it true to your heart that you might be blessed by it's not my job to save anybody.

It's not my job to make you understand it's not my job to open blind eyes. I'm just a FedEx man.

All I'm doing is delivering the package in the package is God's truth and he takes it and then does with it what he will. So what have we learned number one that where in the battle and truth matters. Number two there is antichrist spirit in our world that is blinding people from the truth. Can you not see that the society that were living in right now.

I miss some of the things that people believe some of the things that politicians are espousing may not even just not truth, not even common sense three. The fruit of antichrist spirit is quitting is lack of continuance giving up not persevering in this for we don't have to be deceitful. We have an anointing anointing that gives us the power to discern and number five all I am is a FedEx man. God is the one who has the truth all I can do is carry the package but God's gotta make that package live a does that and all I can say to that is glory to the triune God is probably heavenly father we thank you for this precious passage of Scripture today Lord so much great truth here that you have to lay before us and help us Lord that we might not be an discerning in our Christian life. But Lord, that we might be people that have knowledge Lord that is unknown to the world knowledge Lord that that you give us that the world doesn't like the world doesn't understand and knowledge Lord that changes us and makes us like you got indirect us in our life this week. May we study the word all week long that we might know it better. May we spent time in your presence, that we might know you better and it's in Jesus precious and holy name we pray. Amen